SaturdayAll-Ireland SFC Round 3Kerry v Armagh, Fitzgerald Stadium, 4pm (Live on GAA+)Seán O’Shea and Shane Ryan come back into contention for Kerry. They’re still missing Tom O’Sullivan but otherwise it looks like full steam ahead. Rory Grugan is back in the Armagh 26 but Blaine Hughes hasn’t recovered so Ethan Rafferty will be in goals.Kerry will target him, punching the bruise of last weekend’s killer mistake to see if they can rattle him, particularly at restart time. Kieran McGeeney would be happier if Hughes was available and if he still had Ben Crealey, and if Andrew Murnin had 70 minutes in him.Ultimately, Kerry’s wall of giants around the middle and their cutting edge up front might just shade it. Verdict: KerryMayo v Meath, MacHale Park, 6.15pm (Live on GAA+)Both squads look fairly settled at this stage of the season, with Mattie Ruane the only notable addition to the Mayo 26. James Conlon really stood up on the scoring front for Meath against Derry but it’s hard not to think that Ruairí Kinsella’s absence will count against them at some point.Mayo’s recent home record is atrocious. They’ve lost four of their last five championship matches in Castlebar, with the only win coming against Sligo last summer. But their win over Monaghan is probably a slightly more impressive line on their CV than Meath’s over Derry, and they were good enough to bury Tyrone last week, if far from being clinical enough. A very tentative nod for Andy Moran’s side. Verdict: MayoTailteann Cup semi-finalsDown v Fermanagh, Croke Park, 3pm (Live on RTÉ 2)Down were already well-fancied favourites for this competition and now they have Pat Havern back. But they are far from infallible, as evidenced by the sound beating Offaly gave them at the end of May.Fermanagh haven’t beaten Down in the championship since 2009 but they’ve put together an impressive Tailteann run this time around, twice beating Division Three opposition in Sligo and Wexford. They went out in the semi-final to Kildare this time last year and anything other than the same fate here would be a surprise. Verdict: DownOffaly v Wicklow, Croke Park, 5pm (Live on RTÉ News)After a very difficult league campaign, Offaly look to have finally rediscovered their mojo. The Faithful County lost all seven Division Two games and were dumped out of Leinster by Laois in the opening round. But they have got to the semi-final stages of the Tailteann Cup with impressive victories over Clare, Down and Wexford – three teams with their own title-winning credentials at the outset of this competition. Jack Bryant looked dangerous against Wexford, scoring 1-3. Dean Healy and Mark Jackson were central to Wicklow’s win over Antrim last time out, but the Garden County haven’t been as consistent as Offaly in recent weeks. Verdict: Offaly Dublin have been boosted by the return of Con O’Callaghan. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Sunday All-Ireland SFC Round 3Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 1.15pm (Live on RTÉ 1)The Neller or Nowhere campaign faded out quickly but for Dublin and Donegal there’s no doubt this fixture arrives with a dollop of Now or Never. There are no more safety nets left. Donegal’s form is difficult to fully break down – losing to both Down and Cork at home in recent weeks has to be a worry for Jim McGuinness. Donegal’s energy levels and intent were really low against Cork last weekend. What happened to the team that stormed Killarney? The hurdle of Dublin might just be the ideal challenge for Donegal right now, though. The Dubs will also frame this fixture as a chance to kick-start their season. Con O’Callaghan’s return has been significant but one wonders if enough players in the Dublin dressingroom actually believe they can go all the way to an All-Ireland final this year. Donegal don’t have that problem. Verdict: DonegalMonaghan v Westmeath, St Tiarnach’s Park, Clones, 4pm (Live on GAA+)It has been a great season for Westmeath but some of the soundbites in the immediate aftermath of their loss to Galway last weekend indicated the demands of the last few weeks might be starting to catch up with the squad. Monaghan have had a demanding season too – and both sides have had their fair share of injury setbacks. But Gabriel Bannigan’s side enter this game with the momentum of last week’s win over Roscommon driving them on. Their experienced players like Jack McCarron, Dessie Ward and Conor McCarthy were central to that win against the Rossies. Monaghan looked renergised. In what is likely to be a close contest, that extra bit of desire and determination might prove to be the difference. Verdict: Monaghan
Weekend’s football fixtures, throw-in times and TV details, including Armagh v Kerry and Dublin v Donegal
A blockbuster football weekend sees All-Ireland favourites face off, while the Tailteann Cup semi-finals take place in Croke Park
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